1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation system for forming an image on a sheet, a control method for controlling the image formation system, and a storage medium or the like for storing a control program to control the image formation system.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, an image formation system has been proposed in which an image input apparatus such as a scanner or the like and an image formation apparatus such as a printer or the like are connected on a predetetermined transmission medium be able to output an image input by the image input apparatus with the image formation apparatus desired by a user.
However, in such conventional systems, even when one job mixedly includes plural kinds of data, e.g., color data, monochrome (black-and-white: B/W) data, etc., only one of the following image formation apparatuses, e.g., a color printer and a monochrome printer can print the mixed job. Although the color printer can print data in full color, the monochrome printer is superior to the color printer in the features of printing speed, costs and the like.
Therefore, for example, it is possible to cause the monochrome printer to print pages including only monochrome images. However, in such a case, an operator (or a user) has to judge whether to cause the color printer or the monochrome printer to perform the printing for each page, to generate page printing designation for each page, and to actually select the printer to be used for each page printing designation This may be troublesome for the operator.
Further, in the above case, the operator has to rearrange in the page order the sheets which were subjected the printing processing by the color printer and the monochrome printer and to compile and bind the rearranged sheets into one, increasing the operator's workload. Therefore, to decrease the operator's workload, it is possible, for example, for a system in which groups of sheets on which the images were respectively formed by the printers are gathered from sheet discharge units of the respective printers by the operator himself, the gathered sheets are set in a specific sheet processing apparatus capable of automatically rearranging the sheets in the page order, and then the sheets are compiled as one data and subjected to postprocessing by the specific sheet processing apparatus. However, even in this case, an operator's assistance is indispensable in sequential processing until one book-bound print job is formed. Thus, there is some concern that an operator who is unfamiliar to the sheet processing apparatus erroneously operates or handles it because the operator does not understand how to set the group of sheets output from the respective image formation apparatuses. As a result, the processing to compile and bind the sheets, output from the respective image formation apparatuses, is not performed correctly in the sheet processing apparatus, and when the sheets are subjected to, e.g., stapling processing the sheets are wasted. It is difficult for an operator who is unfamiliar with to the operation of such a sheet processing apparatus to use and manage such a system.
In consideration of the above, for example, sequential processing until one bookbound print job is formed, it is desirable to reduce an operator's assistive operation and to automatize use of the system. However, conventionally, proposals for kinds of devices to be used, and how to operate, cooperate, adjust and control each device have not been submitted. Thus, it is difficult to be able to output a user's desired data and to solve disadvantages described above.